Can we compost the seaweed blob ?
I have been asked multiple times about composting sargassum , as huge island of it lave up on shore .
We have used it extensively in the yesteryear :
“ Dude it worked ! ! ! My works have grown very well with wash seaweeds ! I use or doubly every calendar week and it is work awesome ! I ve never had such growth before ! ! wow ! Thanks man ! God bless you….never hear to those who say minus thing on you … You are doing great ! God bless you . ”
But What About Heavy Metals?
Yet there may be a grab when composting gulfweed .
This morning I have an email from Steve with a link toan article claim there is a risk of wakeless metal contaminationwhen seaweed is used as compost , mulch or fertiliser :
“ Although , in worldwide , there appeared to be no meaning physical dispute ( shape or quantity of veggie yield ) between plants spring up with or without the mien of sargasso , samples analyzed at the Radboud University laboratory found that arsenic level were higher in vegetable grow in soil with gulfweed . More specifically , bok choy had 37 multiplication , courgette 21 prison term , spinach 4 time and ground 13.5 times more arsenic than their vis-a-vis grown in plain potting soil . Cadmium levels were also higher in plants raise in sargassum enriched soil , with chemical analysis point bok choy having 2.5 times , courgette with 3 meter , Spinacia oleracea with 1.3 times and soil with 2.7 time the amount of Cd than sample without gulfweed enrichment . ”
This may or may not be a problem , as the article continues :
Pesticides and Herbicides and Toxins, Oh My!
In the past I was sent some articles on the possible ingestion of toxic chemical by sargassum as it drifts past and through the runoff from various Caribbean nations .
But Wait, There’s More!
On the other manus , it has been reported that sargassum canmake very high - caliber compost :
Sargassum is a particular type of seaweed that is common in coastal region within the Gulf of Mexico , and is traditionally dispose of by being integrated into dunes along the shoreline or into landfills . But this fussy seaweed contain potentially useful nutrients that could benefit industrial plant increase on land . Diverting this resource into compost could help beautify beaches as well as promote a greater stewardship directed toward minimise the nisus placed on overflowing landfill space .
Among the concerns see by essay to use ocean matter apply to garden growth is the detrimental impression common salt content can have on land - free-base plants . However , this bailiwick found that sargassum could be incorporate into compost lot with no detrimental effects because of high-pitched levels of brininess . “ Since pre - washing of the seaweed did not impact the final compost acquire in terms of improved quality , future study may also attempt to identify the maximum amount and proper ratios of sargassum that can be used as a feedstock for compost foundation , ” Sembera noted .
The study used 12 three-dimensional yard of sargassum as feedstock mix in with nutrient waste and Sir Henry Wood chips to create 72 three-dimensional yards of workable matter . From this , the authors derive 25 cubic yard of stabilise compost . From that , they were able-bodied to test the lineament of the resulting compost , and discovered gulfweed - based compost was of either equal or higher calibre than traditional or normally sought compost ; therefore its use in this manner proves to be a sensible way to manage the presence of this encroaching coinage .
Composting can tie up and supply certain toxins unavailable .
AsPlanet Natural notes in an clause :
“ During the composting cycle , pesticide levels in the feedstock ( the cloth that went into the pile ) are reduced by a variety of processes . Some toxins crumble into simpler molecules . Some form bond with other compounds ( surface assimilation ) . Some volatilise , or escape into the ambiance . Some leaching from the pile , drain away with liquid runnel - off . Some undergo humification , becoming part of humus molecules . And some undergo mineralization , whichOhio State University Extension(PDF ) calls the most “ suitable fate ” for pesticides .
Mineralization , the favorite remnant for pesticide , refers to the breakdown of organic compound into their inorganic ( or mineral ) and organic constituent . The remaining organic constituents that bear C breakdown further into a miscellany of simple molecules that include carbon copy dioxide and water . The CO2 volatilizes , or evaporates , the water join the soil root , and the inorganic , or mineral part of the pesticide molecule take its place in the soil environment . The event is that the pesticide has been permanently transmute into non - toxic molecules . ”
So – what ’s the scoop on composting the Sargassum bacciferum washing up on beaches ?
The “ safe ” thing to do would be to use it to flow non - food plants . But in that fount , I do n’t see any material enjoyment for all the bother of gather it up and get it family .
I would belike practice it as a few layers in my compost pile for micronutrient and trust that the composting cognitive operation would obligate up some of the potential toxin . It really does make plants spring up wonderfully , but the dark side is that it could also harbor materials you do n’t require to stick to around in your garden .
Alas , we dwell in a toxic world . There ’s no way to be completely good and there are sometimes no easy answers . My recommendation for most things is just to do the best you’re able to with the data you have , and pray the Lord gives you wisdom and protect you from what you do n’t sleep with .
My Final Thought
I detest to not compost the seaweed , so if I had accession to some , I would totally use it , studies be darned . Your gasoline mileage may vary .
